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My son was severely injured in a D.C. hospital and they won't give me his medical records. What can I do?

A D.C. hospital has to give you your medical records - even when the hospital caused a serious injury or medical condition to you or one of your family members.

You need to be careful when getting the medical records or medical chart though. Sometimes a hospital will try to "hide the ball" and give you only some of the medical records, especially if you requested these yourself and your request doesn't cover everything - remember, if you're in the hospital for any period of time, you probably have had diagnostic tests, radiology, labs, physician orders, consultations, medication administration, etc.

And there should be a record for everything. Sometimes records, notes or other information will be added to the medical chart later, so it's important to make sure you have everything that exists, so you can show records, forms, notes, etc. were added later by a doctor, nurse, administrator, or someone else in the hospital if that was the case.

That's one of the reasons we recommend reviewing the original medical chart in the hospital if you're investigating a medical malpractice case or the cause of a serious injury in a hospital. We actually go to the medical records office in the hospital and review everything by hand for the people we represent.

What about electronic medical records? Many hospitals, private doctors and HMOs now use an electronic medical system (and some use a combination of paper and electronic). You should still request a complete copy of the records, either on a disc or a paper copy. Sometimes, these systems will show you (on the paper copy you get) who reviewed the patient's medical record, when the doctor or nurse reviewed it, whether they reviewed any diagnostic tests - like x-rays or MRIs, whether they reviewed the medication list of the patient's medications, whether they ordered a medication, a test, or wanted to bring in a specialist or consultant to see the patient.

If your child was severely injured in a hospital, requesting the medical records is the first step to get started.

There is a lot more that we do to get you answers about what happened to your child and to get you and your family the help you need. All you need to do is call us - there is no obligation or cost - and we'll help you get started today.

Are you suspicious that your child's condition or injury was caused by medical mistakes in D.C., Maryland or Virginia? You may have nagging doubts, or a pediatrician may have mentioned it, or your friends or relatives may think you should get a lawyer. You see TV commercials every day for birth injuries, cerebral palsy, medical malpractice - what does it all mean?

Written by practicing, board certified D.C. medical malpractice attorneys, it is based on our experience working with families over many years. It won't give you all the answers - no book can. But it's a good start for any parent or family struggling with this issue.

Order this free gift today by calling (202) 393 - 3320. There is absolutely no obligation. It's a free gift (while supplies last).

Like all of us - bus drivers, accountants, construction workers, lawyers, we all have rules to follow. And nurses, doctors, hospital techs, specialists, consultants are no different. Everyone in healthcare has rules to follow - rules that are in place to keep patients safe.

So if you think someone you know was seriously injured because someone in healthcare didn't follow the rules, or a hospital didn't have a system to make sure the right thing was done, call us or send us a confidential email. We'll give you as much information as we can about preventable medical mistakes in D.C., Maryland or Virginia and holding the healthcare system accountable for breaking the rules.